The invention relates to a sterilizing device for the sterilizing of a medium, preferably water, with a conduit of pipes through which the medium to be purified passes, with at least one removable UV lamp producing ultraviolet radiation fitted almost concentrically within the conduit.
In a device of this type in accordance with patent specification CH-PS 477 825 a vertically positioned pipe section is provided, the top final section of which is curved around 90xc2x0 while a pipe bend is connected at its lower end. Furthermore, at this top final section a pipe-connecting piece is positioned, on which a bar-shaped quartz lamp producing ultraviolet radiation is held, which extends into the interior of the pipe. This lamp positioned coaxial with the pipe section achieves the required sterilization by radiating the medium flowing between the lamp and the pipe jacket. For improved radiation spaced-out guide vanes are fixed in the axial direction on the inner wall of the pipe section, which confer turbulence to the medium flowing through the device.
A further well-known apparatus for the sterilization of water in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,467 comprises a central sleeve, on the two sides of which there is a connectable connecting sleeve with, in each instance, a radially positioned pipe connecting piece, on both sides of which there is a locking cap and a UV lamp extending through it, which is held at each of its two ends by a respective locking cap. The disadvantage of this apparatus is its relatively expensive manufacture and assembly, in particular because, at each of transition points of various parts connected together, sealings have to be produced so they permanently withstand the corresponding pressures of the water flowing through the apparatus. A further disadvantage is that dead zones of the water flowing through the apparatus form between connecting sleeves and locking covers, in which sterilization is not optimum.
In a known device in accordance with patent application NL-A-8 205 084, a longitudinal sleeve is provided, on which a radially projecting flange is also positioned at both ends for connection to a pipe and, in each instance, a locking cap is fixed, which holds an extending UV lamp. In this device as well the flanges on the longitudinal sleeve, which is made of stainless steel, have to be welded in an expensive manufacturing process.
In contrast, the present invention is based on the problem of producing a sterilizing unit of the type mentioned previously, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, permits problem-free and rapid dismantling and assembling for cleaning and, furthermore, achieves improved radiation of the medium flowing through the unit.
The problem has been solved by having fie conduit of pipes exhibit at least one separate pipe section as well as, in each instance, a sleeve attached to the inlet and outlet side of this pipe section, whereby one sleeve is provided with a flange section, which serves for the detachable fixing of a UV lamp, which, in its installed condition, extends at least partially into the separate pipe section.
With this construction of the invention, this sterilizing device can be produced considerably more cost effectively than known devices and can be dismantled and then reassembled in a very simple manner. Since these UV lamps preferably exhibit a length of up to a few hundred millimeters, this separate pipe section can be used as pole material.
In one very advantageous version the pipe conduit has a U shape and the two sleeves connect, in each instance, two separate pipe sections connected in parallel, whereby one sleeve forms a channel from one pipe section to the other, while the other sleeve forms the inlet and outlet for the medium, with the latter sleeve exhibiting two flange sections for receiving UV lamps extending into the separate pipe sections.
In a further version of the invention a protective cap is provided, which can be removed from the pipe conduit and preferably reveals an integrated plug connection when it is detached. The UV lamp in question is positioned in such a manner in the pipe conduit that, following the removal of the protective cap, the UV lamp can be taken out of this pipe conduit for the purpose of cleaning or replacement.